To Cry Wolf
by MetricMachine
Summary: A young detective hears of rumors of a wolf attacking townspeople left and right, deciding to don her red hood and take up the case. (A story based off Red Riding Hood as a request.)


There were many rumors about a wolf that lived in the forest. People trekked the area curiously, wondering of the consequences that awaited them. Some went missing. Some came back weak and fatigued from their encounter. The more this happened, the more the townspeople were in a frenzy.

This caught the attention of an up-and-coming, young detective, Katrielle Layton. It was strange, and sounded as if it reeked of adventure. She wanted the excitement her father and brother had the chance to experience. No normal case would do! It had to be odd and out of the ordinary. It had to be weird, something no one else could solve.

"This is it. This sounds like _my_ kind of case!" she decided.

But first, she needed to understand what rumors about this creature were circulating around. And there was one person she knew that could provide what she was looking for.

"Heeeey, Al!" Katrielle sidled up to the side of her information expert.

Alfendi looked up from the newspaper he read with a brow raised.

"What do you want _this_ time?"

She pouted. "Such a cold reception! I just wanted to know something that only the _best_ detective of the Yard would know."

He rolled his eyes but gave a small smirk nonetheless. "Alright. Mind elaborating on what kind info are you looking for?"

"There were apparently rumors of this wolf that's been terrorizing our cozy little town."

"Oh, that," he snorted. "Well, yeah. Eyewitnesses say the wolf stood on its hind legs."

"Oh?"

He saw the sparkle in her eyes. Poor Alfendi realized that it was already too late to back out as soon as she was interested.

"Uhhh.. Let's see… It stood up kind of tall. Almost my height, I'd say."

She leaned in close, excitedly nodding. "Does it?"

"There have been people reporting that they've felt unnaturally fatigued after their encounter with it. Particularly, scratches, bite marks, weakened legs," he scratched at the stubble under his chin before adding, "Before you go jumping into any conclusions, no, we haven't been contacted so neither the scratches or bite marks are considered conclusive proof. They've never been analyzed."

Katrielle did her best to hold in a squeal of delight. "But you have seen them, right? From the victims?"

"O...Only in pictures," Alfendi reached for his coffee cup and took a sip. "Which still doesn't prove anything."

"In that case, you wouldn't mind if went over to check our grandparents, right?"

His eyes narrowed.

"You ask of if there's a wolf prowling about and NOW you want to visit our folks in the forest? Absolutely not. How do I know you're not just using that as a guise for your little creature hunt?"

"Because I'll be delivering some goodies that I plan to make that are their favorites! Pumpkin pie, blueberry muffins, apple tarts… You know how grampa loves his if you don't believe me, you can come along and escort me there. I'm sure they're just _dying_ to meet you again."

It was mostly her fibbing a little, mostly on her making goodies _just_ for their grandparents. But knowing Al and how he felt about their being overbearing...

Her brother visibly paled before looking away. "N-No thanks… They're far too overbearing. Last time I left, it felt like I had to use the jaws of life to remove myself from their hugs."

Katrielle gave a smirk. "Well, then, I guess I'll be going all by my lonesome. That's too bad-"

"And that's where you're wrong, dear sister. You're taking Sherl with you."

Slowly, the smirk then turned into an exasperated frown. "Awww, but why?"

"Because regardless of rather or not that wolf is actually out there, the woods is a dangerous place to be alone. It's a long way to our grandparents on foot."

"But-"

"And most importantly, Sherl is _your_ pet, take him out for a walk. Or did you forget you begged me to keep him?" Alfendi folded his arms.

"He became your pet rather than mine... " she muttered.

The man whistled for their furry companion that lied in his basket, fast asleep. A floppy ear perked up before the dog slowly rose and trotted to his owners. He shook out his fur, still waking from his nap.

"What's this about…? I was having a nice dream for once." Sherl scratched at his ear before looking between the two of his owners.

"Hey Sherl," Alfendi rose from his chair to kneel down and scratch his head. "Sorry for waking you up like this, but I got a favor to ask."

The dog tilted his head.

"I need you to look after Kat while she's out visiting our grandparents."

Sherl snorted and looked up at the young detective. "Why do I have to babysit you? You're old enough to go about doing as you please."

Katrielle folded her arms. "For once, I agree with you."

Sherl was what she considered to be her first case that she couldn't quite figure out. He was an amnesiac dog that could only be understood by a select few, her being one of them. But with no clues as to what sort of life he had before his dog days began, he's since taken residence in her and her brother's home as their pet.

"I know, you don't want to, but something doesn't feel right about that forest. I don't want her to go alone. If you go with her, I'll give you some of the steak I got as a gift from the butcher yesterday," Alfendi gave his best smile. "Naturally, I'll cook it medium-rare, just how you like it."

He watched as Sherl nearly drooled, wagging his tail.

"Sounds good?"

Sherl stood up straight. "Well, now you're talking!"

While Alfendi didn't understand him the way Kat did, he knew exactly how to persuade him.

"Good boy," he reached to pat his head. "Alright Kat, go make your desserts while it's still early, I don't want you walking around in the dark."

She rolled her eyes. "Of course, I'll hop to it. Thanks for all the info earlier, Al."

"No problem. Just don't go around tracking it alright? We don't know if that thing is even a wolf."

"Of course! A good lady would never get into any danger." Smiling, she walked off to the kitchen.

"But a true gentlewoman leaves no puzzle unsolved," she added under her breath.

Sherl watched as she walked through the kitchen in strides, collecting every ingredient to make all of her desserts.

First was the apple tarts, which she had went out the previous day picking freshly ripened was sure to pick the juiciest ones of the bunch. And with grounded cinnamon from the market, the tarts would be perfect.

While the tarts were in the oven, she started on the blueberry muffins. The dough was made from scratch, which took most of her time. But in the end, it was made perfectly and was ready to be swapped out with the finished tarts.

Finally, she finished her pumpkin pie. It was so soft, it's exterior creamy and crust flaky. It was her grandparents' favorite and this was where most of her effort was placed into.

With all of her goodies tucked away in her yellow picnic basket, she then looked out the window to see it was late in the afternoon.

"Well, even though most of the day has passed, we at least still have some daylight to burn!"

"So, do your grandparents even know you're visiting them?" Sherl peered up at her.

"Nope! Seeing as we're gonna take a tiny detour, anyway. It's a nice day for a picnic!"

"You're going to snack on your gift before it even gets there? What kind of grandchild-"

"It's not for me! It's for the wolf!"

"The wolf!?" he repeated. "Are you daft!? Listen, I've walked through that forest plenty of times when I was out with your brother on investigations. And I can tell you with absolute certainty that there _is no wolf_."

Her brows furrowed. "What makes you so sure?"

"From the little I've heard from different people… apparently there was enough hunting to where they were driven away and they haven't been back in years. That's why the forest hasn't had too much vegetation, the creatures they normally prey on have been mostly gobbling it all up."

Katrielle raised her eyebrows as her eyes flashed with intrigue. "Oh?"

"How could you not know that? You've lived here longer than me!"

"I wasn't entirely aware that was the reason the forest has changed so much in recent years. I only just moved back here in the last two years, but now that you mention it... "

She was sure to lock away that bit of info for later.

Donning her red cloak, Katrielle was out the door and quickly making her way past the few buildings that were at the edge of town. The entrance into the small thicket was just past the old sign that warned of danger. She smiled remembering how she paid no heed whenever she wanted to get lost in the forest for a while. It was strange that as much as she visited it, she never saw or felt the presence of a wolf.

Yet, there was one that made its way into their forest and presumably have had attacked multiple people.

She thought on as she walked, considering all of the possibilities for such an occurrence...at least until they reached a clearing.

"This seems like the perfect spot to set some bait!" Katrielle said with a grin.

"I'm telling you, there's nothing _to_ bait! There's no wolf!"

"We'll see about that."

She dug into her basket and pulled out a small red checkered blanket to set down onto the forest floor. Three plates were set out: one with the tarts, one with muffins, and the last with a slice of pumpkin pie.

Kat folded her arms as she scoped out her "trap". "Hmm… It's missing something… Aha! I know!"

Using a marker and some of cardboard that she carried in the basket, she folded it in half and scribbled down a message on its side. Propping it next to the meal, she nodded with glee.

Sherl looked flabbergasted. "'Free food for wolves'!? Are you barking mad? That is the most… hairbrained thing I've seen out of you yet! Wolves can't read—"

The red cloaked girl deadpanned. "You can read."

"I…" he paused for a moment, appearing caught on that point. "I'm different, and I'm not a wolf!"

"Unfortunately," she shrugged.

"You have a better chance at attracting Goldilocks, the three bears, and a family of raccoons before attracting a wolf," the dog grumbled.

"Ever the pessimist," she rolled her eyes. "But that's quite fine. I'll prove to you that there's something living in this forest, and that something is most certainly a wolf."

And so, the pair took cover behind some bushes nearby and waited. And waited… and waited...

The time dragged on to where Sherl fought to keep his eyes open and Katrielle already asleep whilst sitting up.

Meanwhile, on the opposite end of the clearing, a pair of pointed ears stuck out from behind a tree. Carefully, the figure stepped out from its hiding spot and slowly made its way to the blanket. Sherl immediately shot up upon seeing the creature.

"What the devil is _that_?"

"Huh, what?" Katrielle shook her head, ridding herself of the sleep that lingered.

She watched with wonder as the creature sniffed in the direction of the food before looking at the sign. A timid, toothy smile crossed his face before he sat down and began looking at the spread that lied in front of him.

It was...odd. he wasn't quite a wolf, but wasn't a young man either. He was a combination of the two, a human with wolfish features. Animal legs, a furry tail, hands that looked like paws and were hairy from the knuckles up to his elbows. Even odder, he wore a sweater vest and dress shirt underneath along with a pair of khaki shorts. Now that she looked… was that green hair and fur? Most peculiar.

"It must be my lucky day! Someone left all these desserts. Golly, I didn't think anyone still cared for us wolves," the creature said happily.

"So what was that, Sherl? Something about there not being any wolves in this forest…?" Katrielle whispered as she turned to look at her perplexed dog friend with a smirk.

"Now see here! I've never seen that bloke before in all of my time of walking through this forest with your brother. Never! This just takes the biscuit when it comes to the oddjobs I've seen since I started living here!" he growled back.

"In any case, I say it's time we start interrogating!"

The detective slowly stepped from the bushes and began to creep up beside the wolf.

"So," she started casually, "enjoying the goodies?"

He perked up from his meal to look up, ears twitching pleasantly. "Were you the one that left this here? It's simply delicious!"

"Oh yes, that I was. I spent the whole morning making them myself," she gestured to herself proudly.

"Thank you so much for the meal, miss..."

"Layton. Katrielle Layton, soon-to-be famous detective."

"In what way!?" Sherl called out from behind her.

She threw a taunting smile his way. "And this chatty dog is my partner, Sherl. Though I suppose it'd be hard for you to understand him. Not a lot of people do, aside me."

He shook his head. "No, I understand him just fine."

"You do?" both Katrielle and Sherl asked simultaneously.

"Why wouldn't I?"

Kat was silent for a moment. "Well, never mind that. Since I've told you our names, would you be kind enough to tell us yours, Mr. Wolf?"

She saw his tail flick back and forth, almost excitedly. "You can call me Ernest. Ernest Greeves was the name I was given after I've been taken in."

"Taken in? As in, adopted?"

He nodded. "My mum and dad took me in after they saw me alone and lost during wintertime many years ago. Well, before they all had to move..."

"Was it because of the hunts?" she asked as she pulled out her notebook and pen.

"Y-yes. How'd you know? Or...was it because you took part in them?" his ears lowered as he looked over her warily.

"No, not at all. This was actually the first I've heard about this, seeing as I never took part in any activities aside the festivals. I also haven't been in town until relatively recently. Apparently, it was a huge thing among some of the townsfolk."

"It nearly costed me my whole family." The cheerful face he once had became cold and detached.

"Have you ever had a loved one taken away from you for just the sport of it? For some inexplicable fear you can't even think of? That was what happened," he quickly said. "Time and time again."

A lone tear welled up in his eye. "Almost all of them...gone..."

"I'm so sorry for your loss..." the hooded girl said quietly.

He wiped his eyes with a paw-like hand. "It's ok… Although my family decided it was best to leave, I stayed behind to continue living here. I didn't quite belong in the village, and…I knew despite their generosity, I didn't quite belong with my wolf family either. So I chose to live alone."

Sherl piped up. "Now why would you do a thing like that? I'm sure your wolf pack loved you as you are!"

"...The most I'll say is that I'm here waiting for someone."

"Waiting… for someone?"

Sensing that he may withdraw any moment, Katrielle stepped up to him. "Hey, let's talk about something else. Like, um… Knowing another thing or two about you."

Once her face was close to his, he felt his face reddening as he scratched the back of his head.

"Oh, um, sure I-I guess. What do want to know?"

She lightly kicked the dirt with her Mary Jane shoes. "Now I know this sounds kind of weird, but I was wondering if maybe you could show off your teeth a little..."

An eyebrow raised questioningly. "Teeth? Why?"

"Ahaha, I just thought you had a nice smile and I wanted to see those pearly whites for myself, that's all. Pretty please?"

Ernest couldn't help his tail wagging behind him as he laughed with a small smile.

"Ok, but… you have to promise you won't laugh at me or get frightened."

She gave him a firm nod, eagerly watching. "You have my word as a detective that I will remain completely calm."

He took a deep breath. Almost as if he unhinged his jaw, he opened his mouth wide to reveal the sharp teeth that lined his were glistening white as if well-maintained and looked as if they could rip and tear through flesh.

Katrielle felt a lump in her throat, not out of fear, but out of excitement and wonder.

"...Nice," she mumbled, clearly entranced.

Ernest closed his mouth soon after. "Wh-What was that?"

"Oh uh, nothing! What um, large teeth you have, haha…."

"Really? They're quite small… at least when compared to my parents and other relatives."

Sherl stepped back. "How...How large are they? Yours is big enough!"

He mimicked biting motions with his hands, opening and closing them in wide arcs. "Twice as big as mine, I'd say. I was um… kind of considered the runt of the pack with 'baby teeth'."

She took his hands and asked breathlessly, "And um… About your claws, you have them sharpened right? How large are those?"

He traced the palm of her hand with the very tip of his claw. "Perhaps a bit larger than my parents, since I don't use my front paws for walking. Occasionally, I'd trim them so they don't get too long for hunting."

Katrielle inadvertently ran her fingers, over his, feeling the paw pads. "Wow."

Her dog assistant cleared his throat. "If you're about done _inspecting_ him, there's still the matter of our case to get to."

She pulled away and laughed. "Right, right. Of course. I was just doing that."

As she scribbled down in her notebook, she was nudged away by her canine partner to talk elsewhere.

"He's certainly an interesting one, isn't he…?" Katrielle asked as she thought on.

"If you ask me, he has to be the wolf from the eyewitnesses. He even matches the descriptions! Tall, sharp teeth, sharp claws, and he stands on his hind paws…"

"Oh man, I hope so," she blurted out as she stared in Ernest's direction.

"What?"

She snapped from her daze only to shrug. "I… I mean, the description is rather vague at best. Aside the standing on hind legs part, anything large and mammalian could fit that description. Even I could, assuming I dressed up like a wolf."

"Are you kidding? You're telling me he wouldn't be capable of terrorizing a town?"

"Oh, he's perfectly capable of harming someone else. That much is certain. I just don't think he's responsible."

Sherl shook his head. "Is that what your gut's telling you?"

"Mmm. Without a doubt in my mind, I know it's not him. But just to be sure, I suppose I'll need an alibi from him."

Finished with their conversation, Katrielle proceeded to trot up in front of her suspect.

"Ahem, sorry about that. Would you mind answering some more questions?"

"Of course! You've been nothing but nice to me." His pointed, furry ears twitched as he smiled.

"Thank you, thank you. I need to ask… have you been… stalking about the forest as of late? Bumped into anyone as you did? Perhaps even… helped yourself a couple of times?"

She stepped closer with every question asked, an eye hovering over her magnifying glass until she was almost against him again.

"W-What? Stalking? I… I don't stalk. And as far as bumping into anyone, I try to make a habit of staying out of sight, not attract anyone's attention. In case you've forgotten, my existence is what others feel threatened by," he folded his arms. "Also..."

Ernest then frowned at her. "Just what are you implying by 'helped yourself'?"

"Well, for the past two or three weeks I've been hearing stories of people disappearing or others coming back tired and worn with large bite marks around the neck and arms… There's nothing saying you haven't tried, ah… less-than-friendly actions."

His ears lowered. "That's… that's barbaric! Perhaps I may have hunted rabbit and deer, but that's the only other food besides the little fruit this forest has left! I'd never go after humans! I wouldn't like it and...neither would _she_. Plus..."

"Plus?" Kat urged on.

"I wasn't even here when this charlaton came by. This is all news to me!"

Her brows furrowed as she processed this. "So… You weren't even here when these people went missing."

"No. Often enough I visit my family to spend time with them. After all, I do still love them dearly. They're quite far, so it takes a few days to get there by foot and back."

"That seems like an awfully convenient story for a lone wolf."

"You have to believe me… I hardly knew this was even happening in my absence. All I ever wanted was to get along with the villagers, like _her…_ And now it feels like I'll never have that chance again."

Katrielle seemed to have only focused on one part of his statement. "Like her?"

His shoulders hunched as he shyly looked away. "Ah… um..."

"You keep referring back to this person almost every time I've mentioned about the townspeople," she placed the magnifying glass under her chin in thought.

She saw his face flush a light pink as he squirmed in place. There must have been something to this person that made such an impact on him. Even more so… why did that all sound familiar?

"Was this the same person you were waiting for?"

Ernest nodded.

"Hmm… Were you two close friends? Or perhaps… you two were lovers!" she pointed at him.

His entire face turned red and he shook his head feverently. It was oddly cute to see how a "big scary wolf" amounted to a large pushover with just a simple change of topic.

"N-No! No! We're not… We're only friends! Well, childhood friends, anyway. I haven't seen her in years, but… "

Katrielle giggled and smiled teasingly. "Does she know you're friends?"

"Yes, of course she does! Well, I mean, I hope so. It's been so long since I've seen her that sometimes I wonder if she's forgotten me."

Sherl piped up. "Don't fret, wolfboy. If this girl is half as loyal to you as you are to her, she'll remember you."

"You think so?" A hopeful glimmer appeared in his eyes.

"Ah… well, it'd be hard for a kid to forget a wolf for a friend especially if you're no average one," the dog replied with a small smile.

Katrielle smirked. "So, still think he's some monstrous wolf, Sherl?"

"I...I didn't say be was monstrous! I was only being cautious! With all the talk of hungry wolves, you can't blame a dog for being a bit suspicious."

"He's right," Ernest sighed. "I wouldn't exactly be trusting with such unsavory rumors spread either. But please, believe me when I say I had nothing to do with this. I wasn't even here until just a couple of days ago!"

"With this, I guess it's time to bark up another tree… Our one lead is as good as gone," Sherl grumbled.

"That's the way it goes sometimes when you have detective work. This just means we'll have to look at it from another angle…" Katrielle paced around on the forest floor as she thought aloud.

"Let's try to turn our thinking around… After the wolf hunts years ago ended, only one wolf remains. Perhaps even unknowingly, seeing as Ernest has been hiding away out of sight. One day a rumor spreads about people being attacked. Perhaps even photos that have been made for this. Why would someone do that? Who does this scare benefit?"

"Well, I'd say this: Maybe someone invented this shaggy dog story just for some entertainment. It's not as if our sleepy little town gets much action unless your brother's called for some gruesome crime," Sherl sat down to shrug.

"I mean if I wanted some rumor to spread just for fun, I could have said something like… 'my brother goes square dancing in his underwear on Tuesdays', not cause mass paranoia amongst the townsfolk with possibly falsified pictures," Katrielle scratched the back of her head.

"No, this is an act with the sole purpose of personal gain, I can tell," she continued. "And in the case of a town that was crazy over hunting wolves, there's only two things I can think of that people would want after that rumor. Guns and traps."

"S-So they were going to… g-going to..." the wolf hugged his shoulders from the thought.

"Well, not actively searching to kill you, unless something huge happened. But should you have run into someone while they were out in the forest, that would certainly spell trouble for you."

"But just for money…?" the wolf barely made out.

"Some humans are just that terrible. For every good person, there's a bad with their own reasons for doing things. Like greed."

He felt the anger burn through him. Money. His brothers and sisters lied dead in cold blood, for the wealth of someone else. He wasn't able to do anything watch as the remaining members of his family left their home in fear of being the next victims of the town's onslaught. He was young at that time, powerless. But now… He was more than able to fight, even if it wasn't in his best interest.

"Who… Who's responsible for this?" a voice he barely recognized as his own growled out. "Was this… the same person that is responsible for the deaths of my family?"

His voice was unsteady, as were his breaths that came out in wavering pants. Ernest stood up completely straight with teeth bared. Soft, gentle eyes turned cold, distant and sharp. Even his claws looked sharper, a frightening transformation from his meek disposition beforehand. It seemed as if his composure was at its end, an answer being the only thing that kept him from going on a hunt of his own.

"Yipe!"

Sherl was the first to jump back behind Katrielle the moment her shoulders were grabbed.

Ernest stared her down, desperately searching for something...anything that could lead to the person that has tormented his kind for years.

The detective stood strong, unwavering to his sudden change. "While I may have an idea, I'm not telling you while you're like this. You're not yourself right now."

"Miss Layton, please… I just want to set this person straight. I won't harm them, I promise!"

"No. I won't put someone in danger knowingly. There's always the chance for error and if that person was hurt, you won't live to see your family again. Besides, there's no telling what you'd do even if you don't intend to harm. A gentleman must stay calm and think with a clear mind."

She allowed a hand to be placed on his head. "And I know you're a gentleman, you've shown me how much of one you are. Can you do that? Can you calm down for me?"

Ernest felt his eyes prick with tears. "But… they… they..."

 _Gentleman_. That word sounded so familiar to him. He remember being called that by… his one friend. It was enough for him to be overcome with the familiar bitter sting of his own hopelessness.

The droplets rolled down his cheeks, falling onto his sweater vest. He hiccuped as he started to sob.

"Please… please help me..."

His body leaned against hers as he cried into her shoulder. He was distraught, confused. He truly felt alone in the world., With only so many relatives left, this forest was special to him. It was special to his friend. It was their meeting place so long ago.

Even now he felt her warmth, smelled the sweet scent of her and the desserts she once made for him. As he thought on, there was a lot about Katrielle that reminded him of her. Even the hair and eyes looked similar to the girl he had met years and years ago...

She patted his back and took the time to scratch his ears soothingly. The motions felt familiar, memories of something that tugged at her mind.

"Of course, I'll help you. It's the duty of every gentlewoman to help someone in need. Just focus on calming down and leave this to me."

He pulled away to manage a small smile, his eyes still welled up with tears. "Thank you. Thanks so much."

Her eyes widened in recognition. Something had finally clicked. She gave a smile of her own.

"Anytime, Ernest. Come on then. Let's go to town."

"Really…? You're gonna lead him into town after that meltdown? Wh-What if he attacks someone?"

"He won't. Trust me, he's really a good egg and wouldn't harm someone. And certainly not while I'm around."

"But!"

She looked to Ernest and held his cheeks. "I trust him. But if he's following us, he's going to need a disguise of some sort…"

"Mr. Chopper? Are you in today? We have some questions for you!" Kat called out as she knocked on the door of an antiquated store.

An older man, in what seemed like his late forties opened the door. He scratched his head as he looked between her, a cloaked figure, and their dog at their feet. His greyish-white eyebrows raised as soon as he recognized the the young woman.

"Ah, I know you. You're that kid sister of the detective right? Mr. Layton?"

"While you're right about me being his sister, I'm no kid, sir."

"Oh, of course! Sorry about that, little missy. You've ah... caught me on an off day. The store's closed."

Mr. Chopper was a man that had taken care of the town's every need ever since his father had passed down the store to him. They both once started as lumberjacks that sold wood and charcoal to townsfolk to power and warm their homes. But, over time as the world's technology had been introduced into their town, the need for them lessened drastically. There was a time however where they were once sought after during the time of the wolf hunts, if she recalled...

"Not interested in any goods today, don't worry. I just wanted to ask a few questions."

He laughed. "Playing detective again? Aren't you getting a little old for games?"

"Sir, with all due respect, please stop trying to dismiss Miss Layton," the cloaked figure cut in.

The older man sized him up with a glance. "And who might you be?"

"He's a friend of mine," Katrielle had answered for him. "Don't mind him."

Sherl's eyes narrowed. "Something about him really ticks me off."

"I'm doing my best to keep calm, but I don't like how he's treating her either," Ernest mumbled through clenched teeth.

"Call off your growling hound would ya, little lady? Sounds almost as if you have two of 'im."

"Sorry about that, Mr. Chopper." She quickly turned to Sherl and Ernest. They looked away in response. "Behave… both of you. Don't growl, it's rude."

"So what's your question?"

"About your store… you've gotten quite a bit of business as of late haven't you?"

"A lot of people have been coming for my wares, what can I say? Though, I sell mostly wood and tools these days."

"How would you say that's been going? Have people been buying wood or has it mostly been tools?" Kat lightly inquired.

"...Just fine. Everyone's had a different need so it's been a bit o' both."

He seemed cautious with his words, at least from what the detective can pick up. There was certainly something suspicious in his tone, but how could she prove it?

"I see..."

"I got a better question for ya. Why are you asking me about my store? I don't think the state of my sales are any of your business."

"You're quite right, sir," she said with a (faux) guilty expression on her face. "Sorry for being so intrusive."

That seemed to have soften his glare. "I guess as long as you understand… I won't hold it against ya. As a matter o' fact, how about I give you a little deal?"

The young woman eyed him warily. "Oh? And what's that?"

"Well, I've been expanding for quite some time and I remember having this nice coat that would look quite nice on a fine… _mature_ lady like yourself. While my store's not open, I'll let you have it at a discount… For paying me a visit."

"Mature..." Katrielle had lingered on the word, momentarily flattered. "Well, I guess it can't hurt to have a look."

Ernest, who had stood by idly, crept up beside Katrielle and leered over her shoulder. Somehow, something spurred him to walk in front of her, to put distance between her and the store owner.

"Stop... acting so friendly towards her! One moment you showed her disrespect, and now you want to pawn off your merchandise? You're incorrigible!"

His heart hammered in his chest. He abhorred confrontation with his very being, but he knew he couldn't avoid his instincts forever. Whenever he sensed his friends and family in danger, whenever he sensed something wasn't right… he pushed forward without thinking.

Mr. Chopper had furrowed his eyebrows. "You've been staring over here for quite some time. Lookin' at her, lookin' at me… You ain't her boyfriend, are you?"

He balked at that, the words caught on his tongue. "W-well, I… I mean, n-no."

"Then don't ya think you should let her speak for herself?"

Ernest almost deflated. "I...she..."

He turned to her to see that she neither seemed to encourage or deny him of acting on his own.

Slumping, he backed off with a sigh. "I'm sorry."

"Now then, still want that coat?" The store owner asked with a triumphant grin.

"Just a peek. I'll decide if I want it or not after I see it," Katrielle said.

While Mr. Chopper turned away and rifled through his items behind the store counter, Katrielle reached over and lightly touched the palm of his pawed hands with her fingertips. The hand twitched out of surprise, but ultimately curled around hers. He was momentarily reassured. This was just an act, all for the new suspect to let his guard down. She was still on his side and wanted to help him.

The relief however...was short lived. For the next thing he saw, his vision had turned red.

"Aha, there we are! I still have one left over from back in the day, and no mothballs! Still just as good as when it was first made."

A fur coat, made with the hide of an unfortunate animal. The faint smell that clung to it, the smell that only he could detect was one he was familiar with. And that fact drove him nuts. It was one of his brethren that had been killed during the wolf hunt a long time ago, without a doubt. He felt sick to his stomach and could barely control what he did next.

"I knew it! I _knew_ there was something terrible about you! _Murderer_!"

Ernest tore off the red cloak, revealing himself. Mr. Chopper jumped back with a yell, immediately making a run toward the nearest phone. As if he had expected it, the young wolf bolted in the same direction. He had made it to the phone and swiped at the cords, effectively disabling its use.

"You… you were harboring a wolf this whole time? I thought they were all…"

"Gone?" Katrielle offered. "No, funnily enough. While the hunting spree did leave many wolves dead and others fleeing for their lives, there was one wolf that had stayed."

Just as Ernest closed in on the proposed culprit, Katrielle held him firmly by his midriff.

"And I didn't hide him away, I only helped him get here. He spent years alone in the forest, avoiding all human contact out of fear. All caused by the lie your family has told… or is it better to say your father?"

"My… my pa did nothin'! I won't have you talkin' about him like that while he's on his last leg!"

"Miss Katrielle… is he the one that killed them?"

Her grip tightened. "Listen to me. The man in front of you only perpetuated the rumors. His father was responsible for the deaths of many wolves. But he's not here right now. ...If what Mr. Chopper says is true, he's gravely ill."

"Where is he…?"

"Ernest…" she warned.

"He… he killed them! He was even holding up He's responsible for the forest deteriorating! He destroyed my...meeting spot…"

The wolf shook as tears filled his eyes again.

"For land's sake! What's this wolf going on about? Why is he crying?"

"There was a tree that I used to go to...to meet with my only friend. And I promised her I'd meet her under it when she returned. But like most of the forest, it's gone… And I won't be able to see her again."

Kat frowned. "As you can plainly see, Mr. Chopper, yours and your father's pursuit of money has caused him a lot of grief over the years. Tearing him from his family and his childhood friend… It stunted him from a lot of love and care. And even after falling in love with humans and their culture, he wanted to know more about us because he wanted to belong."

"What would some wild animal know about belonging? It's not one of us, it's one of _them_! I only started that blasted rumor to get business back! It was for my pa's sake that I find some way to make bank! It was the only way to afford his medicine! Can ya blame me for looking out for my own?"

"That's where you're grossly mistaken! This isn't just any old wolf! He can talk, walk on his hind legs, and even more so… he has the same emotions we do and even sort of looks like us. If anything, he's one-of-a-kind! Collector's value! Limited print!"

She held Ernest close in her arms to where he stopped his struggling and allowed her to place his cheek against hers.

"What would you know about this… thing!?" The man spat.

Kat stood firm as she placed a hand on Ernest's head."A lot… considering I was his friend from long ago."

"What!?" Sherl, Mr. Chopper, and even Ernest himself was surprised.

"What… but wouldn't Ernest have recognized you the moment he met you? I mean, really! Smell, sight… something should have rang some bells! Are you sure you're not pulling my leg?" Sherl was less than convinced. "Even more so, you acted as if he was a total stranger!"

"That's the thing… He did recognize me. I just don't think he noticed."

The green-haired wolf was silent as he processed the sentence. "I...recognized you?"

She nodded. "Remember earlier when you were so sad and confused that you leaned onto my shoulder?"

"Yes…?"

"You allowed yourself to be taken in by what was virtually a stranger, allowing her to hold you and sooth you… Not many would allow for that so quickly, not even the most saddened. No, you did it because something in you drove to do what was familiar!"

Sherl frowned. "Are you sure it isn't because this guy just developed a trust from you feeding him?"

"Nope! Allow me a moment to explain… the reason that this lone wolf had trusted the beautiful, mysterious hooded maiden!" Katrielle's voice echoed in the spacious shop.

"Who's this beautiful maiden? Did I miss her while I was talking to you?" the dog asked, scoffing as he did.

"You see, long ago… This big ol' wolf was a tiny wolf puppy that was always picked on by some of the town's terrible children."

" _Get a load of this weirdo!" One boy pointed at the wolf-eared child._

" _What_ is _he?" Another one frowned in disgust._

" _Looks like some kid in a wolf get-up to me!"_

" _Ahhh! That's no costume! His tail just moved!"_

 _The boy that started his teasing had walked up and started pulling at the ears, causing the wolf child to howl in pain and yip helplessly in return._

" _Ewww! He IS some weird wolf!"_

" _Wait, isn't your dad a hunter? Quick! Go get him and tell him we found a wolf!"_

" _But that thing's small and scrawny!"_

 _The children had continue to tug at his tail and ears as they called him names, ignoring his whimpering and barking._

" _Hey! Leave that little guy alone!" A girl's voice pierced through them._

 _Bright blue eyes stared at the scene angrily. "You ought to be ashamed of yourselves, picking on a defenseless creature!"_

" _That's no defenseless creature! That's a wolf! ...I think. Whatever it is, it's definitely not normal and it might grow up into something big and mean!" One of the children stepped up to her._

" _Well, duh! If you guys keep being mean, of course he's gonna grow up mean! What did he do to deserve being pulled at and called names?" The young girl stepped closer, raising a fist up at him._

" _Dad said if these wolves keep coming around, all of the people are gonna get eaten some day. That's why we gotta get rid them, you can't trust them!"_

" _Oh yeah? Sorry to say, but your dad's a weenie!"_

" _What'd you say!?"_

 _She pushed past all of them to stand in front of the teased creature. "Wolves don't mess with other people unless their territory is being threatened or if someone's being mean. Like what you guys are doing!"_

" _What are you, their protector?"_

 _She turned to the child behind her to find that he stared up at her with big, pleading eyes. He whimpered as he nudged against her arm, clinging to the red cloak attached to her. That's when she knew that he was harmless, that he would never harm an innocent being._

" _Yep, I am! If you're gonna lay a hand on him, you're gonna have to go through me first."_

" _Yeah right, what's a little girl gonna do, cry?"_

 _Without missing a beat, she walked up to him and gave his knee a swift kick in response. As the boy fell over, he started tearing up. His friends stared up at her._

" _No, but I guess you will," she sneered. "That's how it feels to be bullied. What about the rest of you? Want to try picking on him now?"_

 _They all shook their heads and left quickly to go back to town in fear, leaving their one friend behind._

 _Finding himself without help, the kid cried as he picked himself off the ground and ran for home._

" _And you better not tell the adults about him or I'm telling them you were picking fights again!"_

 _Happy to see his tormentors finally gone, the wolf child licked her cheek gratefully as he yipped._

" _H-Hey, quit it! That tickles, haha!"_

 _He frolicked around her, nudged at her side… With her responding so well to his presence and playfulness, that must have meant she was his friend. Or at least that what he thought._

" _What's your name, little guy? Do you have parents?" she asked._

 _Of course, he knew his name and he most certainly had parents. He barked his answer but…_

" _Huh… I guess the language barrier IS a bit of a problem. Ok, I'll start then. My name's Katrielle! Kat-tree-elle…"_

 _He did his best to mimic her. Vocal chords he hardly used for speech had rattled in his throat as he hoarsely said, "Kat...trellellel..."_

" _Oh! You can talk! Er… a little anyway," she giggled. "Kat...tree...elle."_

" _Kat...trellel?"_

" _Hmm… Ok, how about just calling me Kat?"_

 _He nodded as if he understood. "Kat!"_

" _Yeah! Good job!"_

 _Ear scratches and smiles had made his day then, especially from a new friend. From that day forward, the two were almost inseparable. Underneath the old oak tree they would meet for fun and games, and even speech lessons, courtesy of Katrielle._

 _The time they shared, however, came to an end about two years later. She had to leave the town, as her brother had a job opportunity in the city and he would rather not leave his little sister behind, even if their grandparents lived out in the woods._

 _Leaving behind her new friend was the hardest decision she ever made as a child._

" _You're… leaving?"_

" _Yeah… my big brother's moving so I have to go with him too."_

 _She could already see his lips turning into a pout, his eyes welled with tears._

" _But, but… I thought we're friends…"_

" _Of course we are, silly puppy! We'll always be friends, even when we're far apart."_

" _Will we see each other again?"_

" _Yeah! When we do, it'll be right here! Right by this tree… We can meet up here and continue where we left off. Just think, the next time I see you, we'll be bigger and better than we are now."_

" _Then I'll wait! I'll wait for as long as it takes! I'll grow up to be bigger and stronger and then...I'll protect you, just like you did for me!"_

 _Katrielle smiled sadly as she placed a hand on his head. "Grow up to be a gentleman, ok?"_

 _He tilted his head. "Gentle...man?"_

 _Her fingers combed through his hair. "Mm. It means I want you to be strong. But I want you to be nice and gentle too."_

 _Close to tears, he sniffled as he nodded. "O-Ok… I'll be the best gentleman, so...so when you come back, you'll be proud!"_

"And so… I didn't return until about two years ago. And I didn't see him until today.

Sherl sniffed. "So… you didn't see him for _nine_ years?"

"Yeah...It was hard, losing a childhood friend then. But it's good to see that he's still here and living well, despite all of that. Back then, I'd always be there to comfort him and protect him so… I remember being scared of leaving him alone for something to happen."

Mr. Chopper was silent long before he asked, "So you're telling me that I'm responsible for destroying your home?"

"The blame isn't on you alone, your father has had a hand in it too."

"If you do anything, please just take care of my pa while I'm gone… Please."

Katrielle's eyebrows furrowed. "That's for Ernest to decide, don't you think? You've done more than enough to be reported to the authorities for animal cruelty, environmental destruction and more. As for your dad, I'm sure he could at least have a caregiver to help should something happen."

The man looked to the young wolf for mercy. Ernest had a heavy heart and was more than willing to let him go to prison and serve a steep sentence for what happened to his home. But…

"...Let's just go."

Dumbfounded, Sherl cocked his head. "Wait… Are you sure about this? That guy's responsible for your home getting destroyed and your family being seperated! You're just going to forgive him?"

Ernest crossed his arms. "Don't misunderstand, I'm not forgiving him. It's just that… It's not right to tear one family apart for the sake of another, even if he is the one responsible. If his father is as gravely ill as he says, well… Mr. Chopper's imprisonment may put him in peril. A gentleman doesn't act selfishly."

Just as a sigh of relief left the older man's lips, he continued, " _But!_ That doesn't mean you're just going to get off scot-free! If I leave you be, I'll do it on two conditions."

"What… What do you want?"

"One, no matter how long it takes, you _will_ restore the forest to what it once was. Every tree, every bush, every animal that's ever migrated because of you, they _all_ must come back."

"But that could take decades!"

"Then it's best to get a move on, starting now."

"And the other thing?" Mr. Chopper meekly asked.

"I want you to stop the rumors. Everyone thinks its me attacking everyone and I wasn't even present when it all happened. I'm already feared enough as it is and...and now there's some that may kill me if I'm caught. I know about your standings, all the people in town trust you. So… please clear my name."

He stared at the wolf in disbelief. "Alright, consider it done."

He nodded. " won't have to worry about me coming back ever again."

Ernest picked up the forgotten cloak off the floor and donned it once more.

"Thank you so much, Kat." Underneath the cloak was a smile. "Even after so long, you… protected me yet again. Promise we'll meet up again soon, ok?"

"Ernest…"

"Then… maybe we can have fun the way we used to. And I can thank you properly, um...if that's ok with you."

"Of course! Same place?"

"Same place."

The two stared at each other in silence before he made his way for the door. He had left so quickly that he nearly vanished out in the streets as he headed for home.

"This guy… I can't believe he didn't cut me down to size," Mr. Chopper mumbled aloud.

"He's not mean-spirited, like you were. I wouldn't waste this chance to make things right, seeing as you have over nine years of destruction to fix."

With that ending statement, she scooped up Sherl into her arms and left the man to think about his actions and about the wolf that spared him.

It was a few days before she made her way back into the forest, a basket in one hand and a small terracotta pot in the other. Thankfully, no further incident occurred after she left Mr. Chopper and a surprising change had come through him.

He had silently turned himself in.

While the laws surrounding the destruction of nature is vague in his case (the town felt as if there was no reason for it at the time), he was insistent that he would serve time, even by community service to pay for his misdeeds. The guilt had finally caught up to him, especially after seeing how personally he had affected someone. It was worse for him, given that the one he thought would punish him had only asked that he restored his home and to have the terrible rumors end.

Her thoughts stopped as she heard the soft footsteps. Eyes surveying the area around her, she placed down her things onto the forest floor and tried to anticipate what would happen next.

A large shadow pounced from its hiding place, latching onto her before lifting her right off the ground to spin around with her. She squealed, laughing as her new—or rather old—friend had her in his clutches. It would seem he had gotten much, much stronger since their childhood days to be able to do so with ease.

He chuckled. "Did I do it? Did I surprise you? I've been working on my sneaking for quite a while."

"Well, maybe a little… You've certainly improved from when you were a puppy."

Ernest's tail wagged as he looked at the items that were placed on the ground. "What's all this?"

The redhead picked up the clay pot first. "I wanted it to be a surprise but… I wanted to replace the tree we used to go to… where we met so long ago."

His eyes glimmered before he looked to her sadly. "There...isn't really a way to replace the memories that came with it though."

"Of course not," Katrielle shook her head. "You can't replace memories, but you can always make new ones. And… I want to make new ones with you. To pick up where we were last. That's why I brought along this oak sapling."

He stared at her. "Make new memories... with me?"

"Mmhm. And I'll need your help planting it. One day, it'll grow to be as tall and great as it was when we met. By then we'd have loads of new memories to make up for it all," she said as she placed a hand on his cheek.

He leaned his head into her touch, allowing the warm feeling from her to spread.

"Sounds good?"

"Yeah… I'd really like that. I really would."

Upon walking to where their old oak tree once was, Ernest set to digging out a spot for their new one. Eagerly, his paws scraped up the topsoil of the earth while Katrielle removed the sapling from its pot. Now planted, the sapling poked out of the ground, a sign of a long life ahead of it.

"I'll guard it with my life," he said with determination.

"That reminds me. There was something I think you should see," Kat said as she rummaged through the picnic basket she carried.

He was given a newspaper to peruse. "Huh? 'G-Guardian'!?"

The young woman laughed at his bewildered expression. "Yes, the town's under the impression that you're a forest guardian that came to Mr. Chopper to stop him from destroying the forest. All a story he spun to stop anyone from hunting you."

"So that explains why there were people waving at me and trying to take pictures. There's also been a few that were planting trees here and there too."

Ernest turned his head to look out into the rest of the forest wistfully. "I heard a lot of people say how they missed the blueberry bushes or how they used to climb onto the trees and fall asleep in the shade… Each of them brought something they wanted back here."

"That's great! It'll be a long while but… maybe one day your folks might migrate back here."

"I hope so."

While he seemed happy enough, she could tell a lingering bitterness belied his voice.

Katrielle pulled a blanket from her basket and laid it out on the ground to sit on. She patted a spot next to her, prompting him to sit. And that he did, a sigh heaved as he placed his elbow on his knee and his head in his pawed hand.

"A lot of things are looking up, but I don't think the true healing starts until you've accepted everything," she started.

"I have. It's just… As much as I want to celebrate, these were the same people that wanted me and my family dead. The same people that bought their skins to wear and believed we were attacking them. I guess what I mean is… how can I trust they won't do the same thing again?"

His friend closed her eyes. "I wonder… I suppose maybe it's in the same way you trusted that I would return see you someday, even after being seperated for years."

"You're different, Kat. You'd never do those kinds of things. You're not like them," he shook his head firmly. "Protecting me and being friends with me… it's something they would never do."

"They're different too. Every person is different with their own goals and feelings. I'm not saying you need to trust them or even forgive them all at once, but you shouldn't let the past weigh you down like this."

His ears droop as he said silently, "I know."

A few minutes passed before he spoke up again. "It's… going to take a long time before I really trust them, as much as I loved watching them. It'll be even longer until I've forgiven them, if not for them but for me to heal. For now, I'd much rather be with you."

She stared at him, her blue eyes bearing into him as she tried to decipher what he had just said.

His face turned red as he realized the context of his words. "I mean, fr-friends with you! I'd much rather be friends with you! You know, like the old days! But that's not to say that er, being with you is bad! I mean—oh bother..."

Ernest had put his face into the heel of his hands, his tail seeming to wag in circles as he thought of his next words.

Tossing a knowing smile, she answered, "I know what you mean. Settle down."

He sighed. "That...that aside, there is still the matter of me repaying you for helping me out back there."

"Don't worry about it. Consider it a friendly favor."

"Not this time. I want to do something… anything for you."

She hummed, thinking of what would be the best option.

"Alright then. What would you say to being my best assistant?"


End file.
